Philly Songwriter Shelf Life Premieres “The Curse”

If you at all recognize Scotty Leitch, the songwriter who goes by Shelf Life, it could be because he played the drums in Alex G's live band at The FADER FORT this past March (watch them do unnerving DSU highlight "Icehead" here.) Also of note: last year, he recorded an amazing backwoods country cover of "Failure," my #1 favorite song that Elvis Depressedly's Matthew Lee Cothran ever released under his god-given name. Leitch is from—whereelse—Philadelphia.

The first leak from Shelf Life's debut full-length, "The Curse," is about facing your demons. Its somber acoustic melodies and deadpan, occasionally grim poetry (Talk to the ghost of my dad’s mom/About nothing but heaven and the cancer in her gut) reminds me of something David Berman might have dreamed up with his great, probably-not-reuniting indie-rock band, Silver Jews. "This song touches on self-reflection," Leitch told FADER in an email. "Above all, it focuses on the outward projection of your negatives onto someone who is willing and able to comfort you regardless of what evil lives inside." Everyone Make Happy is out September 18th on Lefse.